Balloon cup holder and stick

ABSTRACT

An integral balloon cup holder and stick is provided in which the cup has a longitudinal slit passing through the sidewall thereof from an open end of the cup to a closed end thereof which is attached to a shaft. The slot terminates at the stick. The cup has a neck and shoulder portion with a bottom of the neck being angled to direct a balloon neck outwardly through the slot for secured engagement about the neck prior to reinsertion of the balloon neck through the slot for maintenance within the cup and below a balloon nested therein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention herein resides in the art of novelty devices and, moreparticularly, to the combination of a balloon stick and cup holder whichis uniquely adapted to attractively receive and secure small balloonshaving a diameter less than 7 inches. Specifically, the invention isadapted for accommodating such balloons which are manufactured of latex,"Mylar" or other heavy films.

BACKGROUND ART

Every year a large volume of inflatable toy balloons are sold or givenaway as novelty items. Such balloons are of two general types, thosemade of latex, and those made of non-elastomeric polymer film, usuallypolyethylene terphthalate ("Mylar"). Latex balloons are stretchable,typically having a short neck surrounding the inflation opening, and maybe sold either collapsed or inflated. When sold in inflated form, theymay be tied to a stick; usually they are tied directly to a balloonholder, which is then secured to a stick. "Mylar" balloons arenon-stretchable, typically are metallized to give a silvery appearance,have a long neck typically about four inches (10 cm) long, and areusually distributed in inflated form secured to a stick by means of aballoon holder.

Various types of balloon holders have been proposed and known in theprior art for securing such "Mylar" balloons. The present state of theprior art is as shown in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,841 whichteaches a balloon holder quite satisfactory for larger "Mylar" balloonshaving a diameter exceeding 7 inches. This patent teaches a cupmaintained on a hollow stem The cup is uniquely adapted to receive the"Mylar" balloon, while the hollow stem is adapted to be inserted into aballoon stick. The neck of the balloon is pulled down through a slitwhich passes axially through the cup and stem and is tucked into thestem and maintained therein by friction fit when the stem is insertedinto a hollow balloon stick. While this structure is satisfactory forlarge "Mylar" balloons, which can accommodate a large cup and acorrespondingly large hollow stem, it is known that thick film balloonsas well as latex balloons often have necks with material too thick toaccommodate receipt within the hollow stem. This problem worsens withextremely small balloons such as the now-popular "lollipop" and "micro"balloons. With such balloons, both the holder and the stick must be assmall as possible so as not to overpower the balloon in appearance. Witha small cup and stick, there simply is insufficient room in anyconceivable hollow stem for receiving the material of the balloon neckwhile accommodating a stick in friction fit.

In the prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,841, the stem of the balloon cupmust be of sufficient size to receive the material of the balloon neck.This in turn dictates the size of the balloon stick which must receivethe stem. For "micro" and "lollipop" balloons having respectivediameters of 3" and 2", the requisite balloon stick is simply too largeto be aesthetically pleasing. Even for larger balloons, material costsdictate that the balloon stick be of minimal diameter. By eliminatingthe need for receiving the balloon neck by the stem and/or stick, thediameter of the stick can be reduced and standardized for all balloonsizes, greatly reducing material costs. Further, by eliminating thecomplexity of the stem of the balloon cup such that it does not need toreceive the balloon neck, a reduction in both mold time and moldcomplexity can be obtained. Finally, by eliminating the need to receivethe balloon neck at the interface of the stick and stem, the techniquefor assembling the balloon to the cup and stick can be greatlysimplified.

As stated above, to be aesthetically pleasing, the size of the ballooncup must not overpower the size of the balloon itself. It is generallyaccepted that the mouth of the balloon cup should be less than 25% ofthe diameter of the balloon itself. This, however, creates a new problemrelated to the Consumer Safety Product Regulations pertaining to smallparts. Current regulations require that a small part, such as a balloonholder, must be either at least 11/4" in diameter or at least 21/2" inlength to pass the non-choke test for child safety. Following prior artteachings, child safety could thus be compromised for aesthetics inassemblies devised for "micro" and "lollipop" balloons.

The prior art has suggested that a solid stick may be used with a moldedhinged clip at the end thereof. While, this prior art teaching satisfiesthe requirements for child safety, it does not support the balloonsymmetrically upon the stick and does not provide for firm, rigidsupport in any manner. Further, this type of prior art stick and clipexposes the material of the balloon neck, allowing the same to detractfrom the innate beauty of the balloon itself.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the invention toprovide a balloon cup adapted for proportionally accommodating"lollipop" and "micro" balloons.

Yet another aspect of the invention is the provision of a balloon cupwith an integral stick adapted for receiving "lollipop" and "micro"balloons while satisfying requirements for child safety.

Still a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a ballooncup with integral stick in which the cup is slit from a top open end toa bottom closed end.

Yet an additional aspect of the invention is the provision of a ballooncup and integral hollow stem, the cup being slit only from an open endto a closed bottom end.

Yet a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a balloon cupadapted for receiving and nesting "Mylar" balloons with the end of theballoon neck being concealed within the cup itself.

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention which will becomeapparent as the detailed description proceeds are achieved by a balloonholder, comprising: a shaft; and a cup maintained at a first end of saidshaft, said cup having a slot therein passing through a sidewall of saidcup from an open first end of said cup to a closed second end thereof.

Still further aspects of the invention are obtained by a balloon holder,comprising: a substantially conical cup, open at a first wider endthereof and closed at a neck at a second narrower end thereof; a shaftconnected to said neck; and a slot extending from said first open end ofsaid cup to said neck and terminating short of said shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a complete understanding of the objects, techniques and structure ofthe invention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a balloon cup holder and stickaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the balloon cup holder and stickof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the balloon cup holder and stick of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a balloon cup holder and stickaccording to the invention employed in the use of receiving a balloon.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings and more particularly FIGS. 1-3, itcan been seen that a balloon holder according to the invention isdesignated generally by the numeral 10. The balloon holder 10 comprisesa cup 12 having a wider mouth 14 at one end thereof and a narrower base16 at the other. Accordingly, the cup 12 has a substantially trapezoidalcross-section of frusto conical nature. A flange or lip 18 encircles theopening of the mouth 14 while a neck 20 extends downwardly from theopposite end of the cup 12. As shown, a shoulder 28 is interposedbetween the neck 20 and the conical sidewall of the cup 12, the shoulder28 being of a larger diameter than the neck 20, but a smaller diameterthan any cross-sectional portion of the cup 12.

The neck 20 includes a hollow cylindrical portion 22 which communicateswith the interior of the cup 12. The bottom or base 24 of the hollowcylindrical portion 22 is angled or biased on the order of 30°-60°, andpreferably 45° with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cup 12.

As an important feature of the invention, a slot 26 passes through thesidewall of the cup 12 and the corresponding sidewall of the neck 20 insubstantial alignment with the central axis thereof. The slot 26 passesfrom the flange or lip 18 to the bottom most portion of the base orbottom 24.

As shown, the slot 26 is rounded at the top edge portions 30 where theslot 26 rolls into the flange 18. As will become apparent hereinafter,the rounded top portion of the slot 26 obviates any sharp corners whichmight have a tendency to tear or puncture the film of any balloonreceived within the balloon holder 10. In like manner, the base orbottom 24 is biased as discussed above to prevent such tearing whilealso serving to direct the neck of the balloon outwardly through theslot 26 in a manner to be discussed hereinafter.

As further shown in FIG. 1, 2 and 4, the cup 12 may include as a moldedintegral part thereof a top stick portion 32. It will be appreciatedthat the top stick portion 32 and a bottom stick portion 34 mayconstitute one integral continuous piece, which itself is integral withthe cup 12, the same being molded of plastic or other suitable material.In such a situation, the stick 34 would be of a solid nature and wouldbe of small diameter and length, on the order of 4"-10", to accommodatethe "lollipop" or "micro" balloons. The concept of the invention may,however, be expanded to adapt for implementation with larger "Mylar"balloons, in which case the top stick portion 32 would constitute astem, also solid in nature, having a draft the exterior thereof having adraft for purposes of being received by a hollow balloon stick infriction fit. As shown in the drawing, the portion 32 would thusconstitute a solid stem while the portion 34 would be a standard tubularballoon stick.

With reference now to FIG. 4, the employment of the balloon holder 10with a "Mylar" balloon 36 may be seen. The "Mylar" balloon 36 isappropriately inflated in standard fashion. The neck of the balloon 38is then pulled through the slot 26 to exit the bottom thereof, causingthe balloon 36 to nest within the cup 12. As discussed above, thebiasing of the bottom portion 24, along with the rounded edges 30 of theslot 26, accommodates such nesting, while directing the neck material 38from the bottom of the slot 26, all while preventing the film of theballoon from being torn or punctured. With the neck 38 in hand, andexiting the bottom of the slot 26, the neck 38 of the balloon 36 maythen be wrapped around the neck 20 of the balloon holder 10 to securethe balloon 36 in a tight nesting relation with the cup 12. The end ofthe neck 38 is then brought back through the slot 26 and tucked underthe balloon 36 within the cup 12. Accordingly, the neck 38 forms a"necktie" of good appearance upon the neck 20 of the holder 10, the samebeing maintained beneath the shoulder 28.

It will be understood that an integral cup and stick combination made inaccordance with the instant invention will be of rather small size. Asmentioned above, the total length of the sticks 32,34 would be 4"-10".The diameter of the stick would be on the order of 0.10"-0.18", and mostpreferably 0.13". The diameter of the mouth 14 of the cup 12 would mostdesirably be less than 1.0", and most desirably 0.875", measured fromthe extremities of the flange 18. The depth of the cup, measured fromthe top surface of the flange 18 to the corner of the shoulder 28, is onthe order of 0.25"-0.50", and most preferably 0.3". A balloon holder 10manufactured according to the foregoing dimensions is found to be veryunobtrusive with respect to extremely small balloons such as the"lollipop" and "micro" balloons which are now popular while the unitaryconstruction of the cup and stick satisfy the requirements of childsafety. The neck of the balloon is easily concealed while also providinga means for tightly and securely nesting the balloon within the cupitself. The cup holder may be employed with an integral solid stick, ora shorter solid stem which is adapted for receipt by a standard balloonstick, this latter design being more suited for larger "Mylar" balloons.Of course, the concept presented above may be employed for unitarymolding of cups and sticks of any of numerous sizes if so desired.

Thus it can be seen that the objects of the invention have beensatisfied by the structure presented hereinabove. While in accordancewith the patent statutes, only the best mode and preferred embodiment ofthe invention has been presented and described in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.Accordingly, for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of theinvention, reference should be had to the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A balloon holder, comprising:a shaft; a cupmaintained at a first end of said shaft, said cup having a slot thereinpassing through a sidewall of said cup from an open first end of saidcup to an apertured second end thereof; and a neck located below saidsecond end of said cup, said neck having a bottom surface which isoblique to a central axis of said shaft, said slot terminating at apoint on said bottom surface which is furthest from said open first endof said cup.
 2. The balloon holder according to claim 1 wherein said cupis substantially conical.
 3. The balloon holder according to claim 1wherein said shaft is integral with said cup.
 4. The balloon holderaccording to claim 3 wherein said shaft is adapted to be received by astick.
 5. The balloon holder according to claim 4 wherein said shaft hasa draft for being received by said stick in a friction fit.
 6. Theballoon holder according to claim 3 wherein said shaft is solid.
 7. Aballoon holder, comprising:a substantially conical cup, open at a firstwider end thereof and apertured at a second narrower end thereof; a necklocated below said aperture a shaft connected to said neck; a slotextending from said first open end of said cup to said neck andterminating short of said shaft; and wherein said neck has a bottomsurface oblique with respect to a central axis of said shaft, said slotterminating at a point on said bottom surface furthest from said firstopen end,
 8. The balloon holder according to claim 7 wherein said shaftand cup are integral with each other, said shaft being solid.
 9. Theballoon holder according to claim 8 wherein said shaft has a draftthereto and is adapted to be received in friction fit with a tubularstick.
 10. The balloon holder according to claim 7 wherein said slot isradiused at edges thereof at said first open end.
 11. The balloon holderaccording to claim 11 wherein said cup further comprises a shoulderinterposed between said first open end and said neck, said shoulderhaving a larger diameter than said neck and less than said first openend.